2018 Super Chill!

 New Year's Day Walk (-1 F)

 Heidi likes to chase jackrabbits and deer

 No words needed

Indoor creativity

Out with the old and in with the new.  The old year goes and the new comes in.  That is how I explained what the new year is to 6 year old Toodles when she asked last night at our new year's eve  supper gathering.   To that simple explanation came her perfect word picture.  "Gram, it's like my wiggly tooth.  The old tooth will fall out and the new tooth will grow right in behind it."  Yes!  And here's a funny thing --  her wiggly tooth fell out last night!  Good bye old tooth!

The old year went out  --  super chill!  It was -25 degrees F from about 7 pm till midnight.  We stayed up so we know!  This morning when we awoke at 7 a.m. it was still -25 degrees.  So the New Year is Super Chill too!  Today we hit a high of 0*.  Woot!  It sounds like warmer days are ahead of us, which we will be very grateful for.  It's been sub-zero all this past week, at least at night.  

I can't help but continue my walks, no matter how chill.  I bundle up.  I'm in wool, as you know.  I try to go out when it's the warmest time of day and I've been tending the chicken chores between 1:30 and 2:00 because the eggs will freeze in the coop if left there very long during this kind of cold.  I'm taking warm water out to them too.  There's a heat lamp over the water bucket and that's the only heat they have besides some straw bedding on the dirt floor.  They are still laying like champs -- usually between 20-24 eggs daily.  Not bad, ay?

Heidi loves taking these short jaunts with me.  She chases jackrabbits and deer while I trudge.  I keep within watching distance of my family members,  walking near the trees so as to keep out of the wind.  Better to be safe and close to home than frozen stiff somewhere far off.  We've got about 5-6" of snow on the ground and in some places there's a foot where the snow catches in tall grass.  I haven't taken out my snowshoes yet.  Another snow and I will.  

All the livestock is hungry.  Each morning they are well fed for the day.  The guys take into account the extra energy the cattle and sheep are using during this cold snap.  Water is a major factor now too.  Tanks must be checked and flowing.  Every day there are water tanks to be chopped and thawed out.  It's just something we know we are going to have to do.  It comes with the territory so to speak!

Indoors the temperatures are fine.  I still have to wear my wool socks and slippers.  Floors just seem cold in winter, and if I can keep my feet warm, I feel warm all over.  Is it that way for you too?  I'm playing with my watercolors again and I plan to start up some more embroidery.  I wonder if playing with bright colors -- threads or paint -- keeps spirits bright during cold, dark days?  It seems to be helpful to me.

My heart's desire for 2018 is the same as my blog friend, Lisa,  

My only really important resolution will be to know Jesus better and to spend more time looking at Him and His word.  I want to be His hands and feet in this world.

Thank you, friends, for coming by here and saying hello and leaving your encouraging words.  I think you're wonderful!  I wish you a JOY-full 2018.

Canyon Hike!

 Looking below to the Canyon highway from up in the cave.

Woody mosses growing on the rocks.  

It's a rock moss,

in cushions, very branch-like underneath.

 I'm trying to figure it out.

Here is a photo closer up from another source.

If you know this moss/plant, please let me know in the comments.

Son, Sasquatch and Me.

While Hubs went golfing on Monday, I took a hiking trip with Sasquatch who lives near Spearfish Canyon.  He's a lover of the Canyon and hikes all over it, mostly with his dog, Hope.  He tries to find new paths and places to hike instead of always taking the established trails.  We went to what he calls No Name Cave, and we hiked almost an hour straight up over fallen rock and trees mostly.  It was hard work for me, but Sasquatch climbs like a mountain goat.  It was exhilarating and so fun to be hiking with my son.  He grew up learning local plants, grasses, and tree names and he has continued to discover and learn in the Black Hills.  I enjoyed talking with him about the plants as we went along.  Poison ivy was one that was abundant and so was the choke cherry.  There were many flowers just coming up, but not yet in bloom.  I told Sasquatch to send me photos when they are in flower.  He pointed out mountain snails among the limestone rock that only live in the Black Hills.  He easily popped off the name, Oreohelix cooperi, without even thinking!  We saw several along the way which indicates a healthy ecosystem, so the scientists say.  

Above all else, it was just great to be together.  The hike and sharing our love of nature was a bonus!

Now I'm feeling all that leg work, two days later!

New gloves and a snowy walk...

 My new gloves!

We went to the feed store for hen scratch on Monday and to my delight, I they had just got their shipment of size medium wool ragg gloves!  I saw them last time I was in, but all they had was large and X-large so I asked if they might get any mediums.  "Yes, we've had such a demand for them that we ordered some."  This was my lucky day.  I picked up two pair.  In case you have trouble, like I do, keeping your hands warm in gloves, this is the brand to look for:  Alyeska by Kinco.  They are lined, warm, and I love the grippy nubs on the palms.  Plus they dry out fairly quickly.

 I'm in Warm Hand Heaven!

 

 I took my gloves out on a test drive.  I walked to the mailbox with some cards.

 

And back home again.  It was pretty windy and cold.

My hands were warm so....

 I went for a walk in the frosty, snowy woods.  

Looks a little like Narnia, doesn't it?

(oops, warm glove in the pic)

 

More snow fell overnight.

We've probably got 6 or 7 " and some deeper drifts.

There's blue sky this morning, but it's cold.

Just 15 degrees.

Brrrrr.

The coffee tastes good.

..........................................................

Sunshine is delicious, 

rain is refreshing, 

 wind braces us up, 

snow is exhilarating; 

there is really no such thing as bad weather, 

only different kinds of good weather.

~John Ruskin

Nature walk...

 

Tree Sparrow (or Winter Sparrow)

 

 

Golden Eagle

 

Jackrabbit (white-tailed)

I took another walk through The Woods today, but along the way I found a few creatures that caught my eye.  The first was the Golden Eagle.  My DIL called me after breakfast to say that there was a huge Golden Eagle in the Cottonwood tree below our houses.  Sure enough, he was perched right up towards the top of the tree and didn't budge at all when I walked right underneath him. It's that time of year once again when we see the eagles come back for the winter to hunt jack rabbits, cottontails, and mice.  We have a plentiful supply of all three so I hope they eat their fill!

As I was walking into the shelter belt, I spied the cute little American Tree Sparrow or winter sparrow.  There was a pair of them, but this one perched nicely for me to take her picture.  Many of the summer songbirds are gone now, but the tree sparrow comes for a winter visit.  Our American Goldfinches sometimes stay for the winter depending on how cold it is.  They have changed their clothes from bright yellow tuxes to their tweeds of gray and white.

Do you see the white fur starting to color in the jackrabbit's coat?  The jacks are hanging close to the shelter belts now and that usually means that the weather is going to change -- likely cold and probably snow.  I haven't seen the Sharptail Grouse in the trees yet, but when they arrive, that is a sure sign of winter weather coming.  They like to nibble on the Russian Olives.  

I saw an owl fly by twice today, but again, I didn't get a good look at him.  I will though.  You can be sure.  I got to thinking that it might be a young Great Horned Owl too.  Stay tuned.

Along my path...

 I wander through prairie pastures and down dirt roads 

when I take my daily walks.  

There is always something interesting along my path. 

Will you join me?

 

A pair of bull snakes.

 Star Lily (small enough to fit in your palm)

 A busy ant pile.

 Hood phlox.

 A puddle in a fresh cow pie.

(A fairy swimming hole?)

 

A fresh cow placenta.

Closer to home...

 Rhubarb coming up.

And grape hyacinth.

Thanks for walking with me!

New shoes and walking...

Hubs and I took our homemade breakfast burritos and coffee and drove off in the pick-up to feed cows and calves and to look things over this morning.  It was one of those "Know thy flock" outings in which we were checking up on the mamas and babies, making sure everything looked right.  The fog made it difficult to find them, but we were confident we saw the majority of the cattle.

It remained a drippy, misty, gray day, but with very little moisture falling into the rain gauge.  We were really hoping this might be a good-chance-of-rain day, but there's tonight and tomorrow which look promising. 

Despite the cool, misty-moisty day, I took my daily walk through the pasture.  It was really quite refreshing to me.  I got to try out my new walking shoes for the second time.  I really love these new shoes.  My old walking shoes were beginning to hurt my feet for some reason.  The soles were pretty well worn out and the  laces part was starting to dig into the top of my foot.  It was time for a new pair. I'm so thrilled with these New Balance WX711 tennies that I'm considering buying myself a second pair.  One for walking on the gravel roads and pastures and one for nice.  Plus you know how shoe companies change things up every year?  Just when you find a pair of shoes you really love, they stop making them just when you are ready for another pair.

I've always been a walker and it is not difficult for me to get up and go, but I know it isn't that easy for some.  My daughter, who is a new mama to her third baby girl, is trying to get more exercise and get back to a regular walking schedule.  Spring and summer days will help that.  She informed me yesterday that there is an app on my phone called S Health that when installed, becomes a pedometer and tracks your every step.  It has been said (somewhere) that every human should walk 10,000 steps a day for good health.  I flopped my smartphone in my pocket yesterday at noon and by evening I had tallied up 8100 steps which amounts to 4.35 miles and 366 calories burned.  I was pretty happy with that since I didn't wear my phone all morning.   Today I put my phone in my pocket for most of the day and tallied up 10,995 steps which is about 5.8 miles and 452 calories burned.  Now it's kinda fun to see results like that just from taking a two mile walk and fiddling around walking about the house, out in the yard, up and down stairs, and out to the chickens.  But I sure think that taking a phone along is a cumbersome thing.  It's too big, and some days I don't have pockets.  Putting my phone in my jeans pocket like the young kids do, does not appeal to me.  I can hardly bend over if it's in my front pocket, and I don't want to sit on it if it's in my back pocket.  It's ok putting the smart phone in a coat pocket, but I won't be wearing a coat all summer.  You know, it's not that I really NEED a pedometer, but it's kinda fun.  I was looking at pedometers on Amazon and this one appeals to me.  Simple.  Uncomplicated.  Do you ever wear a pedometer while walking and going about your day?

Come, walk with me...

 

First things first! Let's walk into the laundry room and throw a load in.  There's always wash to do,  and look who's blooming just for us.  It's the Holiday Cactus, who started blooming on Halloween and will continue blooming through all the holidays up to Easter.  The only ones who see her beauty are those who do the household laundry.  (Me.)

 

Next we'll jump in the pick-up and go to The River to feed the cows.  Normally it's a little early in the season to start feeding cake to the cows, but with the very cold temperatures, they need a little extra feed for their transition into the winter cold.    We've had daily highs in the single digits and nighttime lows below zero. That kind of cold burns up a lot of energy when you live outdoors.

 

After our chores we take a lunch break, and then I like to take a walk outside.  Since it is so cold, I pull on my woollies and heavy boots and trudge through the shelter belts.  When there is wind with this cold -- and there is -- it's really hard to be outside for long, but walking through the trees makes it a little more bearable.  They break the wind plus I get a change of scenery from the open prairie.

We do have to walk across some prairie to get to the next shelter belt.  There are three tree patches  that I walk through most of the time.  I'm so glad that Hubby and his dad planted these shelter belts long ago.  They not only provide wind and snow protection for livestock, but they create wildlife habitat too.

 

A jackrabbit runs by on the road and stops just for a moment so I can snap a picture.  His fur is turning white, but isn't fully white like it will be soon.  He's well camouflaged, isn't he?

The grass and the curlycup gumweed has a nice dusting of snow.

 

 Up in the trees you can see a Sharptail Grouse.  They blend in so well right now that often I don't see them until they move or until they fly up....

 

...Like this one below  How did I get this shot?  Luck.

 After our walk we'll warm up inside with a cup of tea or coffee and a cookie.  And soon enough there are chores to do.  I gather the eggs early in the afternoon so they don't freeze and crack.  The chickens are waiting for the leftovers from my slop bucket.  They love to eat our throw-aways.  The only warmth they have in the coop is a heat lamp that keeps the water bucket from freezing over.  I try to keep enough bedding on the floor so their feet don't get too cold.  They seem happy enough so far, but I might need to spread some extra bedding down if it stays cold.  The handsome Speckled Sussex rooster doesn't have a name, but he should.  Do you have some suggestions?

 

The sun sets early and the nights seem very long to me now.  It is fine with me.  It's as it should be.  Winters bring a slowness to everything.  You can't hurry when its cold.  It takes longer to dress and undress.  It takes longer to walk.  Cattle move slower and pick-up trucks take a while to warm up before we can go to work.  These November nights I'm ready for bed at about 8:30, but I stick it out until 10.  I'm working on more embroidery in the evenings -- both patching little jeans and stitching tea towels.  I'm going to start darning Hubby's thick, winter socks.  Mending is satisfying work.  I enjoy it. I ought to pick a new book to read too.  What are you doing to occupy the long, dark evenings of winter?  Any book recommendations or ideas for Christmas gift making?  Tell me in your comments.  

I have come to regard November as the older, harder man's October. I appreciate the early darkness and cooler temperatures. It puts my mind in a different place than October. It is a month for a quieter, slightly more subdued celebration of summer's death as winter tightens its grip.  
~Henry Rollins

A prairie walk...

 

Hubby and I drove out to Chuck's to check on the yearling ewes and their babies.  They seem very content, and the lambs look quite healthy and strong.  There is just something about seeing ewes and new lambs on the green prairie that thrills my heart.

 

Do you remember that part of our pastures burned up in a prairie fire last summer?  If you don't, click here to see it.  The May rains have brought the grass up and blanketed the bare ground with green goodness.  The sage brush and prickly pear that were once there are gone, and all that's left is a green prairie meadow.  We probably won't turn out any livestock here until late in the fall so the grass can mature and set seed.

 

 

 

After looking around at Chuck's and Gramma's Pastures, Hubs decided to move the cows and calves that we just branded out to the North Pastures.  While he pushed them northward, I got out and walked for a good half hour or so and enjoyed the sights.  I didn't realize it until I got home, but the mosquitoes enjoyed my tender neck meat.  (itchy itchy itch)

 

I wish I could have recorded the sounds of the meadowlarks and buntings trilling and the frogs croaking along the creek.  And then there was the pungent, woodsy aroma of the sagebrush that you can't experience without being there.

I did capture this Western Meadowlark giving his all in full operatic voice.  I found a place where you can listen here.

 

The Gumbo Lily (below) is what this blog is named for.  It's a prairie dweller that prefers the clay gumbo soil and only makes an appearance once during the early spring.  Normally the blooms last a very short time so if we don't get to the gumbo pastures at just the right time, we often miss the gumbo lilies blooming.  There were a very few left in bloom.

  

A little further down there were cool, clear waters.  What a sight!  It was once a parched, dry land, and now it is a refreshing, life-giving green pasture.

"For waters will break forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.  And the scorched land will become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water... the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord will return, and come with joyful shouting..."  ~Isiaiah 35:6,7,9,10

Thank you, Lord, for your gifts.